Hollywood Oks Plan For Downtown Housing

The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency has made housing its new priority, passing a resolution calling for a major residential project in the downtown area.

City Manager Irv Rosenbaum said the project would give downtown a boost of activity while providing a good blend for businesses and residents.

The CRA passed the resolution this month. The move will mean the demolition of housing. The CRA will help any property owner or developer who wants to turn homes or offices into housing in the area bounded by Johnson Street on the north, Washington Street on the south, 14th Avenue on the west and 22nd Avenue on the east.

Included in the housing-development efforts will be construction of buildings as well as the renovation of existing ones, said Skip Grkovic, CRA executive director.

The agency dropped a project to realign Federal Highway at Young Circle this year. The Department of Transportation has the project scheduled for 1993.

In other business, SunBank officials submitted a two-part plan to the CRA calling for about 30 additional parking spaces and the restoration of its three-story building at 2001 Hollywood Blvd.

In order to get the parking, the building immediately west of the branch, which is owned by SunBank and houses four stores, would have to be razed.

``The bank would have to apply for a variance for more parking. The ordinance does not allow for parking on the ground floor,`` said Chris Cutro, Planning and Zoning director. ``There`s a parking structure there right now. They would have to tear that down, pave it and have it stretch across the site where the building now stands.

A site plan should be filed in order to see what variances are needed for that project. The parking ordinance might not be the only one involved.``

SunBank officials must appear before the Planning and Advisory Board, which meets on the third Monday of every month. The board would then make its advisory recommendation to the City Commission. However, the first chance bank officials would have to appear before the board would be on May 15.

Bank officials plan to restore the 60-year-old building to its original look, according to project architect Jose Cordillo. Plans for the restoration project were approved by the city`s Design Review Committee.

``The city also has an ordinance designed to bring out the original uses of storefronts, such as compatible colors, styles and signage,`` Baumwell said. ``If storefronts participate in the downtown restoration project prior to May 31, the CRA commercial renovation reimbursement program could pay them up to 75 percent in reimbursements, plus an additional $1,000 in design assistance.

``This is a great incentive package. We`re offering a lot of money for storefronts to get involved in this project. But they really don`t have a choice. This is a mandatory project.``

The ordinance expires on Dec. 31, 1990.

``Any time after that, any storefront could receive code violations that would result in heavy fines,`` Baumwell said.

More than 40 storefronts have had their restoration plans approved by the Design Review Committee. Fourteen storefronts are in compliance with the ordinance, Baumwell said.

``By the end of next summer, Hollywood Boulevard will look substantially different,`` Baumwell said.